New trials move the UK closer to allowing everyday drone deliveries

The UK Civil Aviation Authority invited organisations to bid to participate in an innovation sandbox earlier this year to validate and test their concepts, supporting the development of BVLOS capabilities.

The schemes involve the trial of medical drone deliveries, energy infrastructure surveying, and ‘sky highways’.

The projects selected include Apian London Health Bridge, Cranfield Airport and Project Blueprint, Droneprep Open Skies Cornwall, HexCam, Skyports Project TRAject, and Snowdonia Aerospace Centre Project Dragons Eye.

Innovation sandboxes offer controlled environments, where organisations can test their technologies against the existing regulatory framework, helping applicants maximise the readiness of their innovation, and also help the UK Civil Aviation Authority develop more efficient ways to develop new regulations.

These new trials will help develop plans for how drones can be safely integrated with other airspace users, as part of the regulator’s wider Airspace Modernisation Strategy.

In a statement, Sophie O’Sullivan, head of future safety and innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “Our innovation sandboxes play a pivotal role in our ongoing mission to develop efficient, forward-thinking regulations that will allow different types of aircraft to use the same airspace.